OldADC
Active Member
I'm also of the opinion that the superiority of analog and vinyl especially is primarily euphonic as opposed to any technical advantage. I'd not be surprised if a "perfect" analog system ended up sounding rather digital. Combine that with the elimination of the experience and nostalgia of vinyl playback and even the most hardcore analog supporters are likely to question the benefit.
On the other hand, a new cartridge tech sounds interesting and fun. No reason not to explore that avenue. If it sounds good and can be used with standard turntables there's already a market for it.
Cheers
Nathan
Thanks, Nathan. I believe we are touching on the digital vs. analog argument at its very heart. There are seriously passionate people on each side of the divide and I don't wish to engage in the rehashing of an argument that is now 35 yrs old. Just count me in the analog camp for the highest possible reproduction and the digital camp for dang near every other consideration (ease, storage, formats, etc. and on and on). However, the "perfect" analog system is likely to sound anything but digital. It is my opinion, and opinion only so lets not argue, that regardless of sampling rates, a necessary loss in digital sampling is the complex phase function linking all frequencies of the recording. This opinion stems from long familiarity with Fourier Transforms and the unbreakable bond between Fourier pairs. In ultrafast optics, a very short pulse in the femtosecond regime requires a broad spectrum from the source. Let any element in the system narrow the spectrum (ex. an optical coating that is not spectrally broad enough and truncates part of the spectrum) and the pulse will be longer in time. Back in the audio world, the same kind of relationship holds between frequencies and phase coherence. Sampling causes loss of inter-frequency phase coherence and therefore a loss in 3-D imaging and stability of image. That is my fundamental belief in analog. But you have to have a VERY good system to hear that difference in stage presentation and imaging. Utterly pointless conversation for ear buds! LOL
Yeah, I really like the diamagnetically induced magnetic levitation for the cantilever. Just sounds cool. Might even work.